In addition to being a vibrant, exciting country to visit, Jordan is also a vast open-air museum where almost every mound and hill has some remnant of a past civilization, mostly waiting to be discovered. In northern Jordan, such excavations have revealed a wealth of Roman ruins — Jerrash, Gadara, and Pella — as well as a 12th century Islamic Castle, Ajnoun. The dry desert heat and protective sands virtually ensure that whatever additional treasures are there will be preserved, if only the funds could be found to bring them to light.

Gadara, near the modern-day town of Umm Qais, is the northern-most tip of the country. From the small café near the Roman ruins, you can sit under an olive tree, sipping mint tea and gaze out at the Yarmouk Valley and majestic Golan Heights of Syria, as well as the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberius) in Israel. Below you, the Jordan River slowly wends its way to the Dead Sea. Known as the breadbasket of Jordan, this is a green oasis with banana plantations and rich, agricultural land, hemmed in on both sides by the relentless sands. The only sound you will hear is the wind sweeping down the hillside and, occasionally, the bleating of sheep wandering below you.

Strategically placed to survey the surrounding countryside, this Decapolis city was a center of learning in ancient times. The Roman ruins are striking in part because of the unusual color of the columns, sculpted from black basalt. They rise from the hillside, next to the main avenue where a mile of paving stones still bears the deep grooves made by chariot wheels which clattered over them some 2,000 years ago. In the West Theater, rows of seats, some with elaborate carvings, wait expectantly in the warm morning sunlight.

A few miles down the road from Gadara is one of the oldest sites in Jordan– Pella (Tabaqat Fahl). Only a fraction of this site has been excavated. The area has been inhabited for over 100,000 years, and recent digs would seem to indicate that it was a force to be reckoned with at the time of the Sumerians. The remains of a very old temple, as well as a medieval mosque and some Graeco-Roman ruins, can be visited fairly quickly before you stop at the rest house on the top of the hill to have a delicious meal of mezze (the local selection of appetizers) and barbecued chicken.

On top of Jordan’s tallest mountain, you will find Ajnoun Castle (Qala’at al-Rabadh), a 12th-century Islamic fort, that rises above the pine forests and olive groves to provide a strategic view from the Dead Sea to Lake Tiberius. Thick walls, vaulted arches, and a dry moat protected the Muslim armies (led by a nephew of Saladin) as they battled the Crusaders for control of the land. The fort was also part of a chain of hilltop fortresses used to send signals as far away as Cairo.

Jerash, known as the Pompeii of the east, is one of the oldest, most extensive and best preserved Roman cities in the world. Walk through Hadrian’s Arch along the Hippodrome where 15,000 people would gather to watch chariot races. Stroll along the colonnaded, paved roads to the Oval Plaza and to the soaring Temples of Dionysus and Artemis; climb the hill to the Temple of Zeus and gaze over the entire complex, where fountains, gates, and large public squares are a feast for the eyes.

Jerash has two amphitheaters — the North and the South– where the acoustics are amazing. A person speaking on the stage can clearly be heard in the top-most tier of seats. An ever-present group of Jordanian bagpipers fills the space with a plaintive lament which echoes through the ruins on the swirling wind, linking the past to the present as the sun sets behind the ancient stones. It is estimated that only 1 percent of the site has been excavated. What wonders are there beneath your feet in a place where 25,000 people once lived and played?

IF YOU GO
We visited these four sites in one long day, driving to the northern-most site (Gadara) and working our way south. We were accompanied by a very knowledgeable guide (Major Mohammed) with a car and driver. While a number of tour operators arrange visits to these sites, an independent visit provides you with the flexibility of stopping where and when you want.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2014-2017 Diana Russler